National Assembly ratifies dismissal of ombudsperson

IN A SESSION that lasted a little over four hours, Panama;s National Assembly approved the dismissal of Ombudperson Patria Portugal after scandals involving approval of extortionately priced contracts.

They were 49 votes for the proposal to dismiss Portugal prepared by the Credentials Committee last week.

Eleven deputies, mainly the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), abstained. There were no votes against.
The decision came after Portugal had appeared twice before the legislature in July.
The chairman of the National Assembly, Sergio Gálvez, confirmed that there will be an open a contest to choose the new Ombudsman.
Galvez explained that interested parties can submit their documentation to the Credentials Committee of the Assembly after the call is made through the media.
Applicants for the post will have to appearbefore the deputies of the commission to demonstrate they meet the requirements for the job.
Galvez said that the process will take between 15 days and three weeks and the
deputy defender Javier Mitil, could be among the candidate
He said on TVN News that there is no anointed within government ranks to be appointed to the position.

Prior to the session, Portugal made a legal move. Accompanied by her daughter and her lawyer at about she filed in the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) an appeal against the Attorney General Ana Belfon.
Rogelio Cruz, Portugal’s lawyer, said the appeal is that the investigations of the Public Prosecutor in the case of the contract for $250,000 awarded by the Ombudsman to the company Imaginarium Studio, SA, are not valid.

Cruz said his client's case would depend on what happened today, in the National Assembly and from there they would continue with their "legal strategy", but gave no details.
The Supreme Court, Criminal Division, decided suspended Portugal, on July 24 after accepting a charge of embezzlement through a $250,000 contract with the company Imaginarium Studio, SA .